Hubble (and Spitzer) Successor James Webb Ready for Launch to View Early Universe from L2

Next-gen explorer James Webb Space Telescope is set to launch NET December 24 at 07:20 EST on Ariane 5 rocket, designated VA256, from Kourou, French Guiana. It will take 3 days to pass lunar orbit, 30 days to reach halo orbit at Sun-Earth L2 about 1.5M km from Earth, and in June 2022 it could be ready for science. Early Release Observations from the 5-6 month commissioning period are to be released after calibrations are complete, before First Light science. The 5-layer, 21×14-meter Kapton sunshield (providing equivalent of SPF 1M sunscreen) separates the telescope, instruments, mirrors operating around -230° C, from solar panels, comms antenna, computer and steering components reaching 85° C. Observing in wavelengths from 0.6 (orange light) to 28.3 (mid infrared) μm (micrometers), JWST will be sensitive enough to penetrate obscuring dust and gas to accomplish 4 main goals: search for light from most distant events & objects nearly 13.5B years old, collect data on formation / evolution of galaxies, formation of stars & planetary systems, and study planetary systems & origins of life. JWST is jointly developed by NASA, ESA, CSA-ASC since 1996. Space Telescope Science Institute will provide ground support for the first year after launch for the data collected through NASA Deep Space Network. During the first 5 months of science, 460 hours of observing time for 13 programs is set to occur. (Image Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA-ASC, STSci, A. Feild, D. Ducros)

MONDAY

Dec 20 — ISS, ~405-km LEO: Seven-member Expedition 66 oversee undocking of 3-person Soyuz MS-20 mission today, expect SpaceX CRS-24 arrival this week, working with Cold Atom Lab, sleep monitoring, vascular experiments; will celebrate Holidays with family on Earth.

Dec 20 — Tiangong Space Station, ~370-km LEO: Shenzhou 13 crew of 3 working with ~6,500 kg of supplies from Tianzhou 3, remaining cargo from Tianzhou 2, continuing set-up for experiment racks, life-support systems, computer / electronic installations.

Russia Plans Missions to Explore Deep Space, Establish Independent Habitats in LEO / Cislunar Space

With one of the world’s richest spaceflight heritages, the Russian Federation remains a formidable space power in its own right: Inaugural launch of upper stage Persei is scheduled at Plesetsk Cosmodrome, riding on 8.86-m diameter Angara A5 (24,500 kg LEO capacity) Dec 23; one-week later Soyuz-2 to deliver 34 Oneweb constellation satellites. As an anchor partner in ISS, with half the station constructed / launched by Russia, operators of 1 of the 2 viable ISS Astronaut transport vehicles, the Russia program is integral to current international space order. Cosmonaut Anna Kikina will fly on SpaceX Crew-5 Q3 2022, the first time a Russian has flown on USA craft since Space Shuttle era. However, continuing cooperation with USA is uncertain – Director Dmitry Rogozin indicates Roscosmos intends to move LEO operations to Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS) NLT 2028, despite joining Nauka and Prichal modules to ISS this year. ROSS is to be launched / supplied / crewed via Orlyonok space tug and Oryol human-rated craft, launched by an as-yet unnamed SHLLV. In comments given Dec 3 at Eurasian Economic Union Space Integration Business Forum, Rogozin provided goalposts for the space program: Angara-1.2 (with Persei upper) and groundbreaking on Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 250 / Bayterek to occur in first half of 2022, Soyuz-5 inaugural launch Dec 2023, and the creation of a Eurasian Space Agency. (Image Credits: Roscosmos)

Dec 20-21 —

Dec 20 – Mar 4 — JAXA, Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan: National recruiting period for Artemis generation astronauts.

Dec 20 — Moon: 6.2° S of Castor, 19:00.

Dec 20 — Apollo Asteroid 2021 XK6: Near-Earth Flyby (0.022 AU)

Continued From…

Nov 4 – Jun 29 — Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Problems, NASA Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), Moscow, Russia: Mixed gender crew of 6 participating in 8-month space / lunar simulation mission SIRIUS-21 (Scientific International Research In Unique Terrestrial Station).

Dec 6 – Jan 20 — STEAMSPACE, Enterprise in Space, Janet’s Planet, Online / Austin TX: Registration Open: Cities in Space Micro Challenge; 9 week challenge open to 3rd and 4th grade students, globally; free to participate.

Dec 16-22 — Pacific Basin Societies, Chemical Societies of USA, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Online / Honolulu HI: Pacifichem 2021: A Creative Vision for the Future.

TUESDAY

Dec 21 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / SpaceX CRS 24, LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center FL: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch Dragon 2 on its 4th cargo resupply mission to ISS; 05:06 EST (live coverage available).

Dec 21 — JAXA, Launch H-2A / Inmarsat 6 F1, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan: JAXA to launch H-2A rocket for Inmarsat 6 F1 communications satellite.

Dec 21 — December Solstice: The Sun reaches the point where it is farthest South of the celestial equator, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year (opposite in Southern Hemisphere); 05:57 HST.